Donna M. Bateman
Out on the
Prairie
Illustrated by Susan Swan
O ut on the prairie where the snakeroot greets the sun,
Lived a shaggy mother bison and her little calf One.
Wallow! said the mother. I wallow, said the One.
So they wallowed in the dust where the snakeroot greets the sun.
O ut on the prairie where the sky is crystal blue,
Lived a speedy mother pronghorn and her little fawns Two.
Run! said the mother. We run, said the Two.
So they ran through the wheatgrass where the sky is crystal blue.
O ut on the prairie where the constant wind blows free,
Lived a mother meadowlark and her little chicks Three.
Chupp, chupp! called the mother. Chupp, chupp, called the Three.
So they called all morning where the constant wind blows free.
O ut on the prairie where the wispy clouds soar,
Lived a mother prairie dog and her little pups Four.
Bark! said the mother. We bark, said the Four.
So they barked and they chattered where the wispy clouds soar.
O ut on the prairie where the grama grasses thrive,
Lived a mother grasshopper and her little nymphs Five.
Hop! said the mother. We hop, said the Five.
So they hopped helter- skelter where the grama grasses thrive.
O ut on the prairie where the grass and flowers mix,
Lived a mother sharp- tailed grouse and her little chicks Six.
Scurry! said the mother. We scurry, said the Six.
So they scurried after beetles where the grass and flowers mix.
O ut on the prairie where the yucca grows toward heaven,
Lived a mother howdy owl and her little chicks Seven.
Nod! said the mother. We nod, said the Seven.
So they nodded in the twilight where the yucca grows
toward heaven.
O ut on the prairie where the primrose blooms late,
Lived a mother rattlesnake and her little snakes Eight.
Slither! said the mother. We slither, said the Eight.
So they slithered, chasing lizards where the primrose blooms late.
O ut on the prairie where the silver stars shine,
Lived a mother coyote and her little pups Nine.
Howl! said the mother. We howl, said the Nine.
So they howled and they whined where the silver stars shine.
O ut on the prairie where the moon glows once again,
Lived a mother Great Plains toad and her little toads Ten.
Jump! said the mother. We jump, said the Ten.
So they jumped through the clover where the moon glows once again.
Prairie Flora and Fauna Facts
All the plants and animals in this story can be
found in Badlands National Park. Many of the
animals have special relationships with one or
both of their parents. However, some species do
not raise their young.
Badlands National Park
Located in
South Dakota, Badlands National Park
was named for its jagged peaks, gullies, and
buttes. Its geological formations were caused
by sediment deposits, as well as wind and
water erosion. About half of the park, however,
is carpeted with grasses and wildflowers.
This grassland prairie portion of the park
is the largest prairie in the United States,
covering one hundred seventy thousand
acres. The National Park Service works
hard to protect this fragile, mixed- grass
prairie ecosystem.
bison
Although American bison are commonly called
buffalo, the only true buffalo are the Asian water buffalo
and the African Cape buffalo. The largest land animal in the
Western Hemisphere, bison can grow to six feet tall at the
shoulder and weigh as much as a ton. At two days old, bison
calves are strong enough to travel with the herd, which